Josh Marshal at Talking Points Memo discusses how H.R. McMaster is cleaning up some of the Alt-right mess in the White House. It's not just about Steve Bannon; Mike Flynn brought in a bunch of right-wing staffers who are slowly being purged.

National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster fired Higgins in July over the memo. But Higgins’ dismissal was part of McMaster’s broader effort to assert control over an NSC which still has or had numerous staffers brought in by Mike Flynn. Yesterday Foreign Policypublished the memo in its entirety along with new reporting about the context of the memo, its discovery and Higgins’ dismissal.

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What is “memetic warfare”? It is essentially fighting people on social media with photoshopped images, propagating ‘memes’ – nugget sized images or blocks of text which inject messages and ideas into the conversations of a broader public. It also involves digital vigilantism, organized intimidation campaigns, threats and a lot more.

Personally, I don't think the fascist Alt-right has that much influence in the world at large. Their fire and fury is concentrated in bot re-tweets on Reddit, Twitter and Facebook. Meanwhile, real damage to our world is being done by the Corporate Libertarian Right that is now in charge of the EPA, Commerce, HHS, and ICE.

Speaking of ICE, WTF do they need 15,000 more agents?

I expect a backlash from the hispanic population similar to what happened in California after the anti-immigrant proposition 187. Energize the hispanic voate, and the weak links in the Republican electorate are: Arizona, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia. (See the 538 Swing-O-Matic.) Increase the turnout of hispanic voters, and move college educated a couple of points to the left, and a bunch of states flip from Republican to Democratic.

The first thing you will notice is that voting turnout is normally much lower for Non-college whites, Hispanics and Blacks. Blacks are overwhelmingly pro Democrat, and Hispanics are strongly Democratic, and they are more numerous in certain geographic regions. There are more Hispanics than you would expect in Southern states like Georgia.

The second thing going on is the collapse of Trump's popularity with college educated people. Trump is contaminating the Republican brand to the tune of 5 – 10 points, in particular with independents & college grads.

Increasing the turnout of Blacks, Hispanics and "other" would have an impact in states where they make up a significant part of the electorate: Arizona, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.

These trends will benefit purple states with a lot of college educated and at least some diversity like Colorado and Florida.

Going back to the Swing-O-Matic: You can see that you don't need to push the sliders very far in the trump-effect direction to flip those four states.

Going forward into 2018 and 2020: We will be solidifying liberal demographic changes due to the size of the baby-boom-boom, and the huge increase of young hispanics of voting age – If only they would vote!

Baby boomers are moving into retirement age, but this group is more conservative, (or I should say more split) than you would think given all the hype around the 1960s hippies and the Vietnam War protests. I think this would show up in the education and geography cross-tabs for people between 60 and 70.

There is no fricking link to anything Swingomatic in there. I can probably figure it out, but in the future, please post links. If you don't know how, go to ckeditor to find out.

Pols used to include the ckeditor help menu in what's available to commenters, but for some reason, took it out.

Whatever. It really matters not. People are killing each other in Charlottesville, while the police stand by, and the Prez plays golf, waiting for things to get bad enough that he can declare martial law.

…Among the most striking aspects of Donald Trump is how, as president, he has taken the pathologies and dysfunctions of the modern Republican Party and brought them careening to their logical conclusions. The racial dog-whistling of Republican campaigns since Richard Nixon becomes outright racism in the hands of the Trump; the contempt for expertise seen from the party’s right-wing base becomes an administration staffed with amateurs and apparatchiks. And now, as the president’s approval sinks to new lows, what was once Karl Rove’s disdain for the “reality-based community” has inevitably given way to a president who chooses to disregard reality altogether, living instead in his own private Idaho where he is beloved and successful.

…

The president is largely indifferent to evidence and observable reality, but he has an intuitive grasp of the crowd. He’s not tweeting to the wind: He’s tweeting to affirm the faith of his supporters, which in turn bolsters his own fantasy of popularity.

The President, of course, was silent about the “Unite the right” rally with white nationalists marching by torchlight. He finally commented that there was no place for this kind of violence in America, AFTER 9 people were hurt. Melania, of all people, tweeted about the rallies before he did. He has yet to call it a terrorist attack.

Trump also never mentioned the domestic terrorist bombing of a mosque.

Cue the troll brigade to say that this was not terrorism, that Trump is a great President, Hillary’s emailswhitewaterbenghazi!!

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, called out President Donald Trump on Saturday for failing to blame white supremacists for escalating violence in Virginia that has claimed at least one life.

“Mr. President – we must call evil by its name,” Gardner said in a tweet. “These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism.”

Asked if his group would help candidates or sitting lawmakers who don’t support abortion rights, he said, “We do not work for a single candidate who is not pro-choice. I think people like to have litmus tests. We are explicitly pro-choice. We work a lot with Planned Parenthood, we work a lot with NARAL. We are absolutely committed to it.”

Contrast that with the "hands off " attitude today, as Charlottesville police completely ignored the street fighting , the attacks on nonviolent protesters and clergy. Charlottesville police guarded an empty parking lot, while mayhem escalated on the streets. Update: 1 dead, 19 injured from car plowing into crowd. No, PP, Moderatus, and Carnegie will never, ever call this a "terrorist" event.

Governor's called for a state of emergency so I suppose they'll finally get some tear gas and heavy police presencer in to clear the streets. Too little too late. They tolerated, if not outright invited, this chaos.

The Hill reports that Cory found some brass and called out the senile old man for not calling the KKK "White Supremacists". Ballsy is what the captain calls this. Looks like Cory is seeing something. But, that is always possible.

Well, good for Cory. All republicans should be speaking up and saying this. Even Sessions wants to disassociate himself from the violence, now that there's a dead body. He was awful silent before, like last night when torch-carrying Nazis, KKK, Proudboys marched on and beat up clergy and peaceful protesters.

And where the hell are the tanks and guns and tear gas they bring out for every protest of someone killed by police? Does the color of skin of the protesters make a difference? Sure seems like it.

Where's the fucking National Guard? Are they afraid of these so-called "militias"? Why are the police so goddamn passive?

Yes,, Virginia, there could be such a thing as "too many guns in the hands of the wrong bloody gun nuts"?

Negev? Are you hoping that your 2nd Amendment soul brothers (pictured below) will get into it with the police? If so, which side are you rooting for?

Let's be real here. Our little modster..the Pear, and Andrei Carnegski are in the photograph above, carrying the torches. Within that crowd is the personification of the hatred and xenophobia spewed on this site daily by our three alt-right commenters. Only if each of you specifically calls out this act of terrorism for what it is (and votes to end this madness), can you exonerate yourself from culpability. This insanity will continue and intensify until Republicans stop whoring themselves to racists and nationalists. Trumps' party is emerging as we speak.

Soon, the racist, anti-intellectual, anti-environmental, anti-democratic, forces that are emerging as dominant in the Republican party will crystallize into the "Great America Party"…the acronym of which, GAP, could just as easily represent the space between their ears.

The GOP then will become the Get Over it Party.

This is an opportunity for the Democrats to understand that corporations should work for the betterment of the people…not the other way 'round. Our government is becoming (has become) an oligarchy on the Russian model. The people don't matter….only the companies

The question is, do the people who run our government have the courage to stop it?

"This is an opportunity for the Democrats to understand that corporations should work for the betterment of the people…(you mean like customers) not the other way 'round. Our government is becoming (has become) an oligarchy on the Russian model. The people don't matter….only the companies".

Duke old buddie old pal. What you wish for already exist in Venezuela. You are just a tired old fascist longing for what could be. Just think, you could be a Councilman in some small town in Venezuela, and obtain the privilege you deserve and teach the little people a lesson for laughing at you. An added benefit, you could put all the TV evangelists in jail. What a wonderful life is a waiting you. Since you have been cheated all your life I don't expect you to have to nickels to rub together. Maybe you can set up a go fund me page for your air fair. You could write of the virtues of having seized the local small business and given the spoils to he peasants, the Pols will love you, you'll be a hero. Yes this has been ordained for you, Maduro is looking for a few good fascists, even old ones. Please send pictures.

Wow, PP, you really are a dick. I give you a chance to denounce the racist terrorism happening in Charlottesville right now, and you use it to confusedly call Duke a fascist communist.

FYI, since you don't pay attention, Duke has been a successful construction businessman for years (retired now, I believe). Unlike our President, he hasn't resorted to Chinese steel, foreign labor, and then stiffed the help in his quest to make a profit.

So you can't muster up even the fake, self-serving cojones of your fellow Republicans to denounce what's going on? Let the words "domestic terrorists" tap out of your keyboard? Why am I not surprised?

I was waiting for one of the Pols with integrity to ask that question. Poor old Duke, there won't be a slot for him in the Communist system. The operative words are useful and idiot. Since he doesn't rate the idiot rank he will be just one more of the 20 million plus who perish under the idea.

I would pay you the same compliment for your gender. What we saw today were two mobs. Two mobs ready and willing to fight, The killer who drove the car is in deep trouble as he should be. I know you want everything to be white and not black, and terrorist, it fits your narrative. Lawlessness should have it's consequences, don't you agree?

I've criticized "antifa" before on this site for being provocateurs. However, the people who got surrounded and beat up at the site of the statue were not antifa – they were nonviolent protesters and clergy, trying to have a prayer service.

Kind of makes one re-think that whole nonviolence thing. Tell you what – if I protest white racists anytime soon, I'm damn sure wearing a scarf, and goggles, if not a helmet. Your buddies will still be bringing their shields, baseball bats, chemical sprays, and guns, secure in the knowledge that Trump will blame "both sides".

Ok, ok, ok. I'll say it, "white extremists", I'm sorry you think of yourself that way. After all you schooled us on the virtues of never giving up your most extreme position, something about negotiating. "Domestic terrorist", now that question is still unresolved. If you are seen wearing one of those pink pussy hats, well I can't think of anything more terrifying.

So your going to give up the "whole nonviolence thing". Are you going to join the Bernie assassin squad and target anyone who has an opposing view of you?

You are a tyrant, a hater, a divider, a racist and an enemy of freedom and liberty. Your goal is to replace freedom and liberty with some faceless bureaucrats who know better, how the little people should live and regulate their meaningless lives. I oppose you, your ideas and your political tactics. "I'll tell you that for sure".

No, she is not a violent extremeist, merely unwilling to admit when she has been proven wrong, as in the fact that the left was the first to use violence, namely mace, on friday, according to the Washington Post.

The real villain the the case is the ACLU, which won a court order allowing a violent hate group to demonstrate at a time and place sure to produce violence. Having won a court order emasculating the police, the left then assailed the police for not stopping the violence that the left initiated!

The result so far: two dead policemen in a helicopter accident, one dead pedestrian and 19 injuries in a domestic terrorist attack and probably more violence today.

The ACLU can be so proud.

The rest of us should ask the courts to set reasonable time and place restrictions on political demonstrations with a proven track record of violence, which the klan has.

I'm going to be super busy with school starting in a week. I don't know if Bowman is still thinking of hosting Happy Hemp day for Pols in Wray.

Also, we're all over the state/country, and unlikely to travel to a central location. I'll propose a virtual Pols skype get together in about a month. This would allow us to "put a face to the name" – always fun – and we could imbibe the adult beverages of our choice, although not in the same room.

I don't have the bandwidth on my skimpy Centurylink connection to host it – one of you tech whizzes might volunteer to.

Pussy hats optional – I don't own one myself, but would donate to the ACLU to see PP in one.

Hey all. We have two great plantings in Yuma County. One is traditional hemp (for fiber/seed) the other is a CBD plot. I'm going to be slammed the next two weeks with a hemp project out-of-state so let's see if we can pull something together on a weekend towards the end of the month.! The best part of this years crop is that we have all four generations of our family involved, from my 82 year old father to my grandsons. This crop has so much potential for the region/nation. Factoid for 2017: 50 of Colorado's 64 counties have hemp being grown. Last year over 1/2 of all hemp acres planted in the United States were grown in CO!

Are you really equating the act of a political party coming to a negotiating table with its most ideal position on a public policy/economic issue (i.e. the single payer option for health care) with a bunch of rabid, racist skin-heads living in a delusional world in which the refuse to accept the fact that a war which ended over 100 years ago isn't over yet and may yet be won, and one of whom has been charged with murder?

And Bernie Sanders sending out his hit squads? Compare how Bernie Sanders clearly denounced the guy who shot Scaliese with what your dear leader put out (i.e., the moral equivalency line).

I almost prefer reading Moldy one-line drive-by shillings to the crap oozing out of your pie hole, Pear.

Your little diatribe is meaningless, but that is best you can ever do. You call me a socialist and a fascist in the same paragraph…you are as confused as this guy..

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey and Other Ignoramuses Believe that Fascism and Socialism are the same thing, and that president Obama is both.

Ever since Obama became president, some on the Right have tried to paste the “fascist” label on him and on his policies, and they have used the terms “fascist” and “socialist” interchangeably.This calls for a brief lecture in political science and history.

Those who try to equate fascism and socialism, or speak of the two in one breath, show appalling ignorance of politics and history.

You know nothing, because you don't listen. Your POV is anathema to the United States and its constitution.

Duke, the economic system you advocate is Communism, the means of production are controlled by the State. You can look it up on Google. Was it Marx that coined the term "useful idiots"? Duke old buddie, you don't even rate as a idiot.

Several points to make here. 1) first duty of corporations is to serve their owners; i.e., serve their shareholders. Intelligent corporations have extensive community give-back programs in their communities. Some local examples: Coors, Vail Resorts, Freeport-McMoran (owner of the Climax Mine), various energy companies.

2) "You are a tyrant, a hater, a divider, a racist, and an enemy of freedom and liberty." Sounds like a good description of Mr. Trump, except for the "enemy of….." part. That I leave to Mike Pence in his zeal to bring about a theocracy in our country.

3) "the real villain is the ACLU……" very, very, WRONG! Same thing was said about the ACLU when they defended the free speech right of neo-Nazis to march through a Jewish community in suburban Chicago some decades ago. The SCOTUS has put a few, sensible, limits on free speech. Otherwise, people should support our Constitution and not try to "pick and choose" as the righties do.

4) PP (Passionate Prune) obviously knows very little about what is really happening in Venezuela as the country "progresses" from being the richest country in South America to being an economic, and freedom-less, basket case. I’ve been to Venezuela, before the Chavez darkness descended, and know what it was like then. Same thing happened to Argentina in the 20th Century as populism; “do it for the people;" got out of control and the country has yet to recover.

The ACLU was wrong in Skokie and is wrong in Virginia. Freedom of speech does not include the right to shout fire in a crowded theater. There can be reasonable time and place restrictions on Nazi activity. Yes, the ACLU is the villain in this case. its smug absolutism already caused three deaths and there will be more if its strategy of unleash the Nazis, arm both sides and emasculate the cops continues.

Advocating for the right to demonstrate doesn't make the ACLU a villain. I guess your real point would be that the Court who permitted the demonstration would be the villain.

Now I agree that you can make the comparison to "Freedom of speech does not include the right to shout fire in a crowded theater". But, I'm not sure where you draw the line given the Rights enumerated in the Constitution.

ParkHill, I contribute to the ACLU and will continue to do so. They're one of our best bulwarks against the Russia-like autocracy Dear Leader wants us to emulate.

I think that they should rethink their representation of armed groups that routinely violate the law.

But Federal Judge Glen Conrad who allowed "unitetheright" to hold their rally in the teeny park by the robert e lee statue? that judge needs to own up to the consequences of that terrible decision. He could have made them rally a mile away in a bigger park, establishing a buffer zone between the rival groups, which would have been more feasible for police to maintain.

On this, we agree. Yes, I also blame the ACLU, which has always treated nazis as a kind of pet duck, shouting "Yes, we practically always represent the left, but here's a right wing extremist as a token of fairness."

but the judge should have seen through that charade. Nazis have a right to express their views, but give the police a way to control the situation . Your restrictions were a reasonable way to do that.

Sorry, Vgr, but you are wrong. If one starts tinkering with rights outlined in the Constitution, then where does it stop? As another example, the religious right hates the wording in Article VI and some of the 1st Amendment. Does that mean they get to tinker? No.

And the judge is not at fault either. The quote often attributed to Voltaire: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

That’s classic conservatism, a concept that is alien to the likes of PP, Moderatus, and Carnegie.

He has now agreed to defend my right to disagree with him to the death. For my part, I will defend his right to disagree with me to the point of minor discomfort, such as my left knee acting up. But then I'm bailing!

Actually, Duke, I did edit it. I try to be polite around here, but I also don't suffer fools easily. I'm reminded of a catch-phrase: "the constantly angry young man can move mountains, but the constantly angry old man is simply boring."

You're right on, M.J. Sorry, C.H.B., you get the consolation prize. Time, place and manner can all be restricted without violating anyone's right to speak. The "place” and "manner" in this case helped charge the situation. The judge goofed and should take his well-deserved lumps

Yes, I think Judge Conrad could have looked at the history of Kessler (the guy who applied for the permit) as the head of Virginia Proudboys, a violent racist and anti-Semite, added in the history of the "antifas", who, let's be honest, also come ready to mix it up, and concluded that it would have been contrary to public safety to allow the two groups to demonstrate so close to each other. You can read the Judge's ruling here.

As a teacher, I can't condone destroying historical artifacts, art, or literature. But the Confederacy lost the war, and we can't support these statues, artifacts on public land.

So I wouldn't be in favor of "melting down" the statue of Robert E Lee that was the excuse for all of this mayhem. I think it should be donated to an entity like the Confederate Museum. Let that stuff sit on privately owed land. That museum definitely has a political point of view – they call it the "war of northern aggression, or the "war between the states", not the Civil War.

There may be some museum that is less biased that these artifacts could be donated to. A quick search on Wikipedia reveals more than 100 "Civil War Museums".

So those would be my criteria for disposing of these Confederate memorials – find a relatively unbiased, scholarly Civil War museum to donate them to. Then let these nuts come in and worship at Lee's feet or whatever. So first, scholarly and unbiased. Second, on private land. Third, its tax-exempt status should be conditional – if it starts advocating for violence, a political agenda such as voter suppression of minorities, that status could be revoked.

Meeting those criteria and placing these Confederate memorabilia in an educational setting on private land would not be enough to placate the zealots. There are hundreds of these memorials throughout the south, and cities that are removing them have to protect their civil service folks from assault by the right wing racists.

If I were a descendant of slaves in the south (or anywhere), I would rightfully see these memorials as an affirmation of the outrages done to my ancestors. I would want them gone. They need to be gone from public land, and a home found for them where their history can be appreciated – in context with the voices of all of those who were part of this most divisive period in American history.

I'm with you on this, too, M.J. And my family's roots are in the Deep South. My mother's family did own slaves way back when. Not proud of it, but it's a fact. What I never understand is some people's refusal to MOVE ON! Look what had to happen in South Carolina before Gov Haley agreed to take the Stars and Bars (not the Confederate flag) off the Capitol grounds. But like what happened to your family, we should never forget. So yes, these things belong in musea. Whether to mourn over them or to crow is up to the viewer, but they definitely don't belong on public streets anymore.